The present invention relates to devices for receiving machine-readable input and for outputting a human discernable output, usually in the form of audio or visual information. More particularly the invention relates to an audio player which may be used to scan or sense machine-readable coded data on a surface and to output audio material in response to the sensed coded data.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention simultaneously with the present invention:
U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/721,895, 09/721,894, 09/722,174, 09/721,896, 09/722,148, 09/722,146, 09/721,861, U.S. Pat. No. 6,712,452, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/722,171, 09/721,858, 09/722,142, 09/722,087, 09/722,141, 09/722,175, 09/722,147, 09/722,172, 09/721,893, 09/722,088, 09/721,862, U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,339, U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,857, U.S. Pat. No. 6,631.897, U.S. Ser. No. 09/721,860
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Oct. 20, 2000:
U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/693,415, 09/693,219, 09/693,280, 09/693,515, 09/693,705, 09/693,647, 09/693,690, 09/693,593, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,474,888, 6,627,870, 6,724,374, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/696,514, 09/693,301, U.S. Ser. No. 6,545,482, U.S. Ser. No. 09/693,704, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,527,365, 6,474,773, 6,550,997
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications, granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Sep. 15, 2000:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,679,420, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/669,599, 09/663,701, U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,985,
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by reference.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on Jun. 30, 2000:
U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/609,139, 09/608,970, U.S. Pat. No. 6,678,499, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/607,852, 09/607,656, 09/609,132, 09/609,303, 09/610,095, 09/609,596, 09/607,843, 09/607,605, 09/608,178, 09/609,553, 09/609,233, 09/609,149, 09/608,022, 09/609,232, 09/607,844, U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,883, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/608,920, 09/607,985, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6.398,332, 6,394,573, 6,622,923
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
Various methods, systems and apparatus relating to the present invention are disclosed in the following co-pending applications/granted patents filed by the applicant or assignee of the present invention on 23 May 2000:
U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575,197, 09/575,195, 09/575,159, 09/575,132, 09/575,123, 09/575,148, 09/575,130, 09/575,165, 09/575,153, 09/575,118, 09/575,131, 09/575,116, 09/575,144, 09/575,139, 09/575,186, U.S. Pat. No. 6,681,045, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575,191, 09/575,145, 09/575,192, 09/575,181, 09/575,193, 09/575,156, 09/575,182, 09/575,160, 09/575,150, 09/575,169, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,644,642, 6,502,614, 6,622,999, 6,669,385, 6,549,935, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575,187, 09/575,155, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,591,884, 6,439,706, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575,196 09/575,198, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,290,349, 6,428,155, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575.146, 09/575,174, 09/575,163, 09/575,168, 09/575,154, 09/575,129 09/575.124, 09/575,188, 09/575,189, 09/575,162, 09/575,172, 09/575,170 09/575,171, 09/575,1610, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,428,133, 6,526,658, 6,315,3996, 6,338,548, 6,540,319, 6,328,431, 6,328,425, U.S. Ser. No. 09/575,127, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,383,833, 6,464,332, 6,390,591, U.S. Ser. No. 09/575,152, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,328,417, 6,409,323, 6,281,912, 6,604,810, 6,318,920, 6,488,422, U.S. Ser. Nos. 09/575,108, 09/575,109, 09/575,110
The disclosures of these co-pending applications are incorporated herein by cross-reference.
Purpose-specific devices such as radios and audio cassette players, as well as more general-purpose devices such as personal computers and organizers, can be used to play back audio material such as music. Many of these devices can also be used to record audio material, such as voice dictation.
In general, these devices don""t provide access to situated audio, e.g. to a music clip associated with a concert poster encountered at a train station, or spoken instructions associated with a page in a workshop manual. Each device must be used to seek out the desired audio material through a virtual space accessible through the device, or the audio material must be brought to the device in a device-compatible physical format.
The present invention utilizes methods, systems and devices related to a system referred to as xe2x80x9cnetpagexe2x80x9d, which is described in our co-pending applications listed above.
In one broad form the invention provides a hand-held audio player with a sensor device capable of sensing coded data. Images including coded data are sensed by the audio player and decoded. The decoded information is transmitted to a computer system which identifies one or more files stored on the system associated with the decoded data, using previously stored association data. The file or files identified are transmitted to the audio player for immediate playback or later playback under user control, either via a built-in loudspeaker or via headphones or similar.
Accordingly, in one broad form, the invention provides an audio player for download and playback of audio files, the audio player including: at least one sensor device capable of sensing images including coded data; a decoder for extracting data from sensed image data; a transceiver for transmitting the decoded data to a computer system and for receiving one or more audio files associated with the decoded data from the computer system; and at least one audio output device for outputting an audio signal corresponding to the audio file.
In another broad form the invention provides a method of downloading files, the method including: providing a plurality of files; associating each of the plurality with one or more identities; providing a user interface displaying at least one selection data, the or each selection data associated with or encoding at least one identity; selecting the or one of the selection data displayed on or by the user interface with a selection device; determining the identity or identities associated with the selection data and identifying the file or files associated with the identity or identities determined from the selection data; and downloading the file or files so identified to the selection device.
The audio player preferably has a memory and a screen for displaying information relating to any files stored in the memory.
The user interface is preferably a piece of paper and preferably the images including code are invisible, infrared absorptive tags. Other forms of display are possible, such as a screen or substrates carrying electronically addressable ink, such as E-Ink produced by E-Ink Corporation.
The audio player may communicate with the computer system via wireless or wired means, or by a combination of both.
The audio player may operate out-of-range of a netpage base station if it is configured to utilize an embedded mobile telephone transceiver, or if it is itself embedded in a mobile telephone which it is configured to interoperate with.
Each selection on the user interface may be associated with one or more files, for instance, a single track or an xe2x80x9calbumxe2x80x9d of many tracks.
Preferably the audio player has a unique identity encoded in the audio player, to enable identification of the audio player and/or a user requesting downloads. If downloaded files are stored in memory the audio player identity may also be stored within or in association with stored files. Playback of stored files may be limited to the original audio player or audio players owned by the same owner. This validation may occur within the audio player or by transmitting information to the computer system.
Memory provided for storage of downloaded files may be fixed in the audio player or removable or some may be fixed and some removable.